Pardew set for crunch talks on future

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is preparing for crunch talks with club owner Mike Ashley following the 1-0 loss at Stoke - and very much aware the axe could be hovering above him.

Pardew expects to have "some serious conversations" over the next few days with Ashley, who said in the build-up to the match the manager would be ''finished'' if it ended in defeat - a comment Newcastle later insisted was made in jest.